What did you do to your NNBS GMT900 Tahoe/Yukon Today?

[Runfor5]

If an alternator is going to fail, it'll happen 100 miles from the nearest town with a parts store

Lmao... naturally yes. Didn't realize you had to wait on the verification step (I've never submitted a warranty claim for an auto part ever).

 

[Doubeleive]

Lmao... naturally yes. Didn't realize you had to wait on the verification step (I've never submitted a warranty claim for an auto part ever).

99% of the time they just swap the part out, a battery & alternator are the only 2 things that might get tested to verify, if so it would be there at the store, theres no waiting unless they are charging the battery.

 

[j91z28d1]

Lmao... naturally yes. Didn't realize you had to wait on the verification step (I've never submitted a warranty claim for an auto part ever).

the step is they put it on a test stand, spin it up and see if it charges. since he doesn't wait till it breaks, they won't replace it on a time basis. they only replace broken ones. these days on most cars/trucks the alternator is considered a life of the car unit.

I remember when they failed often, but 200k from a good alternator from a good manufacturer isn't really unexpected.

 

[Geotrash]

the step is they put it on a test stand, spin it up and see if it charges. since he doesn't wait till it breaks, they won't replace it on a time basis. they only replace broken ones. these days on most cars/trucks the alternator is considered a life of the car unit.

I remember when they failed often, but 200k from a good alternator from a good manufacturer isn't really unexpected.

I think this is generally true. Maybe I'm just unlucky but I've had 7-8 alternators fail on various vehicles in the past 20 years. Fortunately, none while on the road, but the last one was in my '07 Yukon the day before we were about to drive it 1800 miles from Colorado to Virginia, so that was a little too close for comfort.

The only time I carry a spare is when we're taking a long distance trip with the camper. For 2 reasons: 1/There are many more demands on the alternator when towing a camper. 2/ Pulling into a typical parts store parking lot with a camper would be a harrowing experience. I also carry a good pry bar and dead blow hammer in my toolkit to get the old one out and the new one in.

 

[mikez71]

Had a new autozone alternator fail on me decades! ago.
About a week in, one of the brushes had fallen out of place.

Wouldn't have been a big deal, except it happened at 2am in the morning 100 miles from home.
Pulled over when the lights started getting real dim. Was sleeping in the car to wait until morning.
Then a nice girl stopped at the gas station, drove 45 minutes away to bring me a dead battery. (she thought was good)
Instead she gave me the one out of her car, and I let her have my old one to charge up as she drives.

Not sure that will work on these newer cars, might freak out when you remove the battery..

 

[gooffeyguy]

I replaced the alternator last year on the 2001 for the first time, at 260k miles

 

[j91z28d1]

I totally get bringing a spare in long trips, especially if you have one that works.


usually electrical stuff lasts longer the less it's pushed to its max ratings. especially with your camper the 220amp alt would seem to he a logical swap

 

[Geotrash]

I totally get bringing a spare in long trips, especially if you have one that works.


usually electrical stuff lasts longer the less it's pushed to its max ratings. especially with your camper the 220amp alt would seem to he a logical swap

Maybe so. But I haven't had any trouble keeping the battery topped up - even when towing through heavy rain for hours at night.

Driving back to VA from CO back in August of '21, I was sick as a dog - likely COVID - and drove 16 hours one day from Salina, KS to Lexington, VA through heavy rain that covered most of the route. Pulled into a truckstop to sleep around midnight but never had a problem with keeping everything topped up, power-wise, running all lights including fogs, wipers, rear defogger, defroster, the RV fridge, charging devices, the works. If that didn't overwhelm the alternator, nothing I'm likely to throw at it would. Except as you say, it may shorten the lifespan.

 

[j91z28d1]

that does sound like a lot. if I had to guess you had that 160 maxed out. I have seen right at 100amp in my car testing it and it doesn't have anything like that much to turn on. I'd love to know what the ecm was saying the amp draw was at that time.

sounds like you got a good one on there and that had to be a brutal drive.

 

[Geotrash]

I'd love to know what the ecm was saying the amp draw was at that time.

In hindsight, I would too. I'll see what it's pulling the next time we have the camper behind us at night.